This invention is directed to a suspended ceiling construction and more particularly to a suspended ceiling construction having inclined transitional zones between areas of different elevation.
Suspended ceilings are commonly used in office buildings, schools and other large buildings and comprise a supporting grid of horizontal intersecting supports which receive panels typically called acoustic panels. Ceilings of this type became popular because of a combination of low cost, desirable acoustic damping properties, ease of installation, an ability to accommodate and hide overhead air conditioning ducts, electrical wiring and plumbing conduits, and providing a plenum for return air. Although early suspended ceilings were flat, it did not take long for the industry to provide more complex shapes, typically having recesses providing improved acoustic damping properties, improved eye appeal and elevated lighting fixtures.
Disclosures relevant to the disclosure of this invention are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,119,475; 3,275,817; 3,286,427; 4,004,390; 4,055,930; 4,115,970; 4,438,613; 4,827,687; 5,177,923 and 5,647,182.
A problem has always existed in providing transitional areas between areas of different elevation in suspended ceilings. The transitional areas are typically made by workmen at the site. The result is that the quality of construction and its eye appeal depend on the ability of the person at the job site. Thus, the results are normally unpredictablexe2x80x94some jobs look fine and others looked awkward.
Architects and designers are not currently able to achieve the same standard quality for the look and performance on different projects based on the ability of craftsmen and their methods of handling irregularities and transitions. In addition, architects and designers cannot produce custom designs using commodity materials without incurring significant labor costs and the risk of poorly executed plans. This invention allows irregularities that occur on a project to be handled in a uniform manner and thereby give architects and designers the options to use a standard ceiling construction method in handling irregularities and elevation changes.
A transition zone is provided between different levels of planar ceiling sections. The gridwork for the planar ceiling sections comprises conventional intersecting T-bars suspended by wires from an overlying support. In this invention, the connections between the inclined gridwork of the transition zone and the planar ceiling sections is done by connectors or clips that are crimped onto the T-bar supports or which are supported by the T-bar supports.
The shape of the connectors or clips at any particular location depends on how many T-bar supports intersect at the junction of the planar ceiling section and the transition zone. For example, where an inclined T-bar support of the transition zone intersects a mid-point of a horizontal T-bar, the clip comprises a pair of aligned channels crimped onto the horizontal T-bar support and a single perpendicular channel crimped onto the inclined T-bar support. The exact shape of the clips accordingly depends on the situation at the junction between the transition and horizontal T-bar supports. A surprisingly few clips can accommodate almost any practical situation. This is largely true because the angles required between the transition gridwork and horizontal gridwork is accommodated simply by bending the clip to the desired angle.
This invention also allows economies in the construction of transition zones between ceiling sections of different elevation. In the past, all transition zones were fabricated on the job site. In this invention, the gridwork of repeated custom ceiling configurations, such as pyramidal sections, are fabricated in a shop on a jig, transported to the job site and simply dropped in place, crimping the connectors onto the T-bar supports as needed.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved ceiling construction.
Another object of this invention is to provide new methods and techniques for creating different ceiling layouts and designed using industry standard grid systems to provide improved suspended ceiling construction assemblies.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide an improved ceiling construction in which transitional areas between planar ceilings of different elevation are handled in an easy manner providing uniform results.
Another object of this invention is to provide improved transitional areas for suspended ceilings.
A further object of this invention is to provide manufactured assemblies for installation in new or existing acoustical ceiling systems.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims.